A up-to-dated hareware and clean OS software is needed. 

@Gaspershooters - I can't update the hardware, with the exception of installing a SSD. It's a laptop.

@Roloccolor - No money for a SSD at this time. Windows Areo is turned on, transparency is turned off, drop shadows turned off, using the default skin, turned the color to black.

GFX card is the Radeon 7310M, it is built in to the CPU, it has 384 MB to work with. Plays Command and Conquer really well. 

Hard drive is a Seagate. 320 GB, 5400 RPM, 8 MB cache. Not the best drive. 

I have a Windows 8 disk with clean COA at my disposal, wondering if it would make any difference. Keep in mind the CPU is really wimpy. Here is the details on the CPU:

http://www.cpu-world.com/CPUs/Bobcat/AMD-E%20Series%20E1-1200.html

Could be a dying hd. I have a compaq6710

1.5 gigddr2

20gig hd

T7100 core 2 duo 1.8 gh.No glass or Aero effects due to video, but, run seven like a dream. No lagging or crashing,runs apps quickly.

Try a hd , even if just temporary from another laptop perhaps.

I don't think it's the hard drive. I really think it's that crappy CPU. I have a decent video card so it runs Areo just fine. It just seems the system lags. 

Well I tried 8 on the machine. It runs really fast on the notebook. Problem was the product key is being used on another machine so we had to put 7 back on the notebook. This time I used a barebones copy of 7, activated the copy with the COA on the notebook so it's all legit and legal, and installed drivers. Guess what? It's running quicker than it was. I'm happy so far. Wish we could have keep 8 on the machine. None of us can afford a windows 8 license at this time. 

Yeah it was something along those lines. The computer still isn't as fast as I want it to be, nor is it as fast as it was using 8, but I can work with it. 

Well Kona if - you had grabbed the oppertunity on release instead of kicking it with boots at the time the license would have been quite affordable 
 Damn now i feel bad - sorry Kona i appologize for my dark humor... IM sorry

Still if you are lucky you may can grab a license for thirty bucks on ebay they sell them sealed and unused ( if you want to try look for systembuilder )

How long will Windows 8.1 preview be good? It works great for me in a VM.

Your friend could install and run that until they could obtain a copy of Windows 8.

Look at the motherboard specs...........can it take a faster cpu?...........if so go on ebay and get that faster cpu.........pennies

Windows 8.1 Preview and Windows RT 8.1 Preview expires on January 15th 2014

the second is closer,(ms OS expired previews usually NAG on an hourly basis and often demand reboots frequently), but as MS is claiming it will be released later this year this might not be such a big issue.

harpo

So I finished downloading Windows 8.1 Preview. Anyone know if it can be used until at least April? What's the deal with all of that? 

Guess I will keep Windows 7 on the machine then. No use in using a system that will not work. Guess I could talk him into using Ubuntu. You sure about that RedneckDude?